Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Traditional Easter Holidays

There are many shared traditions associated with the Easter holidays and differences too. Decorating eggs and eating chocolate Easter eggs is popular in many countries. The Western and Eastern traditions have evolved in their separate ways since the rituals of pagan times. The birth of spring was celebrated in different cultures over the years, developing into the Christian rites of Easter time.

The exact timing of when Easter should fall is the subject of debate but the Easter holidays are sometime between late March and late April. Most scholars agree that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is recorded as happening on the third day after crucifixion. Christians all over the world worship on Easter Sunday morning and the address from the Pope is broadcast from the Vatican.

For lots of people, religious ceremony is not part of their vacation from work. It is a welcome break however and certain customs are observed. These often involve families getting together, especially those with young children. The USA and Great Britain both have the tradition of decorating eggs on Easter Saturday, only for the Easter Bunny to hide them and then the children hunt for them on Easter Sunday morning. The Easter Bunny leaves gift baskets for children who have been good.

It's a profitable time for the confectionary industry and the greeting cards industry. The Easter holidays are a great excuse to eat large amounts of chocolate and Americans eat a lot of jelly beans at this time. Eating peeps, marshmallow candy in the shape of an animal, is another Easter tradition.

The Roman Bells share the responsibility of bringing the Easter Eggs with the Easter bunny in Belgium. The eastern districts of Holland light bonfires at sunset on Easter Day. Hungarians call the Monday of the Easter holidays, Ducking Monday and swap perfume for Easter Eggs. Finnish and Swedish children go door to door with pussy willows and dressed up as witches. They give the willow in exchange for candy. On Holy Saturday, a smorgasbord feast is eaten, containing potatoes, herring, salmon and eggs.

Other customs are more unusual, as in the Czech Republic and Slavic countries, where men whip women with willow rods. This represents fertility and shows that the woman is considered attractive to the opposite sex. The Norwegians have an altogether different way of spending the Easter holidays. They choose to watch from a selection of crime shows that are shown and new crime novels are published in time for the Easter break.

Best Travel And Tour Destinations

The Hawaiian Islands are one of the most popular destinations for vacations in general, as well as for an adventure travel tour cruise. In addition to its natural wonders, there is plenty to do ranging from sporting activities such as snorkeling near dolphins to surfing the waves to horse riding along the coast. Of course, its beautiful beaches cannot be disregarded and help turn these already beautiful islands into paradise. One must-see is Diamond Head, the most famous volcano crater, overlooking the ocean. Here at the end if Waikiki you can lava bubbling and take in a magnificent view of the island.

Your adventure travel tour cruise world can open the door to many interesting experiences in destinations such as Asia, South America, Africa or anywhere else you would like to see. Major cruise lines offer cruises to various locations where you can visit places such as the getaways of Singapore or the Croatian Adriatic towns and islands.

Ancient Adventures Travel is one of the best adventure travel tour cruise world operators and offers tours to many fascinating places such as Turkey, Egypt, Greece, Israel and many other fascinating places. You can choose to visit the location individually or in combination with another destination. As its name would suggest, Ancient Adventures Travel can take you back a step in time which might be the refresher you need if you love history and adventure.

You should definitely include the African safari holiday in your adventure travel tour cruise world where you can experience beautiful landscapes, enchanting nature specific to Kenya and the wildlife unique to the Dark Continent. Once you have enjoyed these fascinating sights, you can board a cruise ship and head to the Sychelles, Zanzibar and Mauritius and other South African destinations. Of course, do not leave Africa without visiting Egypt and its pyramids as well as the Nile River where you can enjoy a Nile River cruise, given a "thumbs up" review by many travelers. Also, be sure to visit the Amazon in South Africa where you can see rainforests first-hand and even float down the Amazon River, two unforgettable experiences.

With so many adventure opportunities available, the most difficult part of your adventure travel tour cruise world will probably be trying to fit everything in. Don't worry, you will probably need to take several tours in order to experience everything these adventures tours have to offer. Your first adventure tour will simply be a preview of everything you can see, experience and enjoy throughout the world, but you've got to start somewhere. There are so many thrills, new sights and a lot of adventure waiting for you no matter what destination you choose.